56 
for the rest of the Atlantic Coast. I know it has not 
been covered since 1889. I also know that they have 
been collected with a great deal of care as relates to 
certain species for '92 and '93, but I believe that I am 
correct in saying that these investigations ought to 
cover all the species. Why I speak of this, is for the 
reason that Colonel McDonald has said that these 
papers covered a period of ’91 and ’g92. It is true that 
these statistics cover some years generally and others 
specially, and there is no general way that can be taken 
as a basis for settling this question. It is also true 
that many of our fisheries fluctuate from year to year 
and that the statistics for last year will not suffice for 
this. This I found to be especially the case in Georgia, 
in the South Atlantic States, as the published reports 
will show. It will seem that there is a very rapid in- 
crease in fishing and also in pound and purse seines, so 
that if we had complete statistics of the entire interest 
from Rio Grande to Eastport, Maine, we might have 
something that would be of value to us. Colonel 
Marshal McDonald spoke of an increase in the invest- 
ed capital and the lack of an increase in the products. 
If he has looked this matter over properly, he will find 
that a large part of this increase in capitalization is due 
to the fact that great care is being now taken in the 
preservation of fish products. Enormous sums of 
money are spent for refrigerators, and to provide for 
the preservation of fish when the supply is in excess of 
the demand. The increase in the capitalization, there- 
fore, can hardly be taken in comparison with the in- 
crease of products, as the majority of the increase in 
money has been spent in these refrigerating houses. 
I also believe that there is a large increase in the cap- 
italization of the fisheries in the South Atlantic and 
Gulf States, where a great deal of money has been ex 
pended in establishing new fisheries, and also in plants 
for packing oysters and preserving the products of the 



